Aqua America, Inc. (NYSE: WTR) announced today that it has acquired the
Lawrenceville Water Company, which serves nearly 8,000 people in
Lawrence Township, New Jersey in a stock transaction valued at $3.3
million including the assumption of $400,000 of debt. The system will be
operated and managed by its New Jersey subsidiary, Aqua New Jersey, Inc.
Lawrenceville is the fourteenth acquisition for Aqua America companies
this year. It is located in central New Jersey, equal distance between
Princeton and the state capitol of Trenton, and is also the home of the
renowned Lawrenceville Prep School.
"This is an opportune acquisition for our New Jersey operations as it
neighbors our Hamilton, New Jersey headquarters and increases our
customer base throughout the state by five percent,” said Aqua America
Chairman and CEO Nicholas DeBenedictis. "We are excited to have the
opportunity to provide service to these customers who were virtually
right in our back yard.”
DeBenedictis said that Aqua New Jersey anticipates making needed capital
improvements including installing new mains, a new radio frequency
metering system, and improvements to its well treatment systems.
Aqua America is a publicly traded water and wastewater utility holding
company with operating subsidiaries serving approximately three
million
people in Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina, Illinois, Texas, New
Jersey, New York, Florida, Indiana, Virginia, Maine, Missouri and South
Carolina. Aqua America is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under
the ticker symbol WTR.
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of
The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that address, among
other things, the projected investment in the acquired system, the
effect of the acquisition of the described business, and possible
benefits from the acquired operations. There are important factors that
could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or
implied by such forward-looking statements including: the risk that the
acquired company’s business will not be successfully integrated; the
risk that the proposed improvements will not be made as projected or
have the indicated benefits; the costs related to the transaction; the
risk that anticipated benefits will not be obtained or will not be
obtained within the time anticipated; and other key factors that we have
indicated could adversely affect our business and financial performance
contained in our past and future filings and reports, including those
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Aqua America is not
under any obligation—and expressly disclaims any such obligation—to
update or alter its forward-looking statements whether as a result of
new information, future events, or otherwise.
WTRF